Hearing this, Lin Lishan didn't know whether she was embarrassed or angry. Her face flushed red, and she glared at her angrily and said, "You worry too much. I'm your mother! Don't worry about us. Live a good life and don't make us worry here. Mom knows you're stubborn, and your father won't dare force you to go back."

We'll wait for you for two years. Even if the sky falls, you have to come back. Your great aunt is right. You and Xiaowu don't have to beg for connections like others to go back. At worst, you can join the art troupe. But you have to rely on yourself. Girls can't be strong-willed. Mom just wants you to have an easy life and live the way you want, but you insist on taking the hardest path." As she spoke, her voice gradually became lower and she lowered her head to wipe away her tears.

Zhou Jiao went over to wipe her mother's eyes, which made her happy. Returning to the kang, she looked at the two elders in front of her and said in a low and firm voice, "Mom, I know what you think and that you feel bad for me. But I want to try it myself. I want to know where my potential lies and where my future lies.

Relying on you, I was afraid I would lose my fighting spirit and ruin my father's reputation. Now that I know what my grandparents went through, I am even more certain that my decision was right.

Everyone will encounter more or less obstacles in life. I must learn from the lessons of my ancestors and think carefully about the future. I am still young, and I want to give it a try. Without the protection of my parents, can I, Zhou Jiao, shoulder the responsibilities of a daughter of the Zhou family? What's more, I have more confidence than others. I have you and my aunt and the others. Even if I get hurt or tired, I still have a place to rest. You must believe me and be happy for me.

Old Mrs. Cheng sighed, touched Zhou Jiao's face happily, and said, "Shanshan, you should be happy. You have a good daughter that makes you proud. Jiaojiao, you and your grandmother have very similar temperaments. You are as stubborn as a bull. But you must also remember that we don't seek perfection in everything. When encountering difficulties, we should avoid them when necessary. This road is blocked, let's try another way.

"If your grandparents had gone abroad, our family wouldn't have suffered so much. With the money they had and the friends they made while studying abroad, they wouldn't have died young. As my great aunt grew old, she often regretted her arrogance and her thirst for revenge."

Zhou Jiao shook her head and advised, "Grandma, don't regret it. My grandparents had a great country in their hearts. They knew that without a country, there would be no home. Their spirit is admirable and worthy of our remembrance. But I can't do that. I just want my small family, I want everyone to be well and safe."

"Haha, good, just think about being safe and sound. A safe life is a blessing. Your father is under the watchful eye of your great aunt, and you are on this side, so safety is your top priority. If you encounter any difficulties, run to the capital and find your great aunt. I have made some connections over the years, so we are not afraid of ordinary things."

Zhou Jiao winked at her with a smile and teased, "Grand Aunt, you say the same thing as my parents. If anything goes wrong, just go to the capital. Aren't you afraid that I'll make a big fuss? Don't worry. I'm a slow-paced person and don't easily make enemies. Life is not easy for everyone, so there's no need to be picky. Besides, I guess everyone in the county knows that I have powerful backers behind me, so who would bother to mess with me? Everyone used to call me Golden Baby, but I don't know if they've changed their name now?"

Old Madam Cheng laughed heartily. "Who gave him that nickname? Your grandfather from the Zhou family had the nickname, Jade Young Master. His given name was Jiaheng, and his courtesy name was Jinyu. Later on, no one knew Zhou Jiaheng, but only Zhou Jinyu. The little girls, seeing him, were afraid to call him out loud, and would instead yell, 'Here comes Jade Young Master.' Back then, we often laughed at him for being as famous as Pan An, and he would be very upset and complain that it was all his friends' heckling that caused him trouble. Your father also had a nickname, Northeast Tiger."

Lin Lishan also said cheerfully, "Aunt, everyone knows Jiaojiao's nickname, 'Golden Doll.' In the county town, if you mention 'Golden Doll,' people will come up and tell you how to find her. But if you ask Zhou Jiao, not many people know it's 'Golden Doll.' This child has been agonizing over this nickname for a long time, saying that a clay doll sounds better than a golden doll."

Zhou Jiao hurriedly changed the subject, fearing they would continue teasing her. "Aunt, are you still taking the military plane back this time? Will there be enough space for my parents to go with you?"

"Tomorrow's military plane has room for everyone. It's a pity our little Ping'an is too young, otherwise you could all go back together. We're lucky this time; the plane was just delivering supplies, so the return flight is empty. Today is the second day of the Lunar New Year, and in ten days our little Ping'an will be one month old. Are there any customs here? Did your mother-in-law tell us how to arrange it?"

Zhou Jiao shook her head and said, "I haven't heard her mention it. She also arranged the third day bath. I don't understand any of this. The children in the village seemed to be very casual, and I didn't see any movement."

"There are all kinds of customs in the north. In the south, on this day, we shave the child's hair, give him a name, and give red eggs to relatives, friends, and neighbors. Our mother's family also has to make preparations."

Lin Lishan nodded after hearing this. "Aunt, my mom told us to prepare gold lockets, red eggs, and a few new clothes for the full moon day. We also wanted to take Jiaojiao and her family back to her parents' home to move in. Her dad and I decided to postpone the move until the end of the year. We'll save the gold lockets and other things for Jiaojiao's full moon day. We were also planning to give money to Old Lady Zhou to prepare red eggs. But now that plan has gone haywire."

Mrs. Cheng pondered for a moment after hearing this and asked her, "How many days will it take for you to return to the team at the latest?"

Lin Lishan smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I didn't have any vacation this time. My colleagues and I moved two days and applied for seven days, making a total of 15 days. My vacation is almost over. I plan to call back to Beijing in the next two days to take action first and ask for permission later."

Zhou Jiao immediately understood what they were planning and said hurriedly, "Aunt, Mom, don't rush to make a decision. Listen to me. My dad's affairs are the most important to us right now. Go back and don't interrupt the original plan. Men don't pay attention to details, and I feel uneasy without you.

I've made plans for the baby's first month. Mom, please leave the gold locket to me. I'll pay someone in the county town to prepare the red eggs and have them delivered to the village. And Auntie, please don't send anything back when you go back. I'm going back to Beijing at the end of the year. We'll talk about it after we get back. The baby's first month is over, and there's still a year to go. There's no rush. My grandparents' and my dad's affairs are the most important."

Old Lady Cheng was delighted to see Zhou Jiao talking about serious matters with a serious face. "Okay, I'll listen to you. Your father is the most important. Auntie knows what's going on. I'll listen to you."

Zhou Jiao nodded happily after hearing this. "It's settled then. Don't mention this to my dad. Just tell him everything is ready and let him focus on his own affairs."